In South Africa, “backpacking” refers to the outdoor activity where a backpack is used to allow a hiker to live outdoors for two or more days at a time, including overnight stops. In Europe, “backpacking” usually refers to touring from one youth hostel to another. This is most often referred to as “slackpacking” in South Africa. “Hiking” is often used as a synonym for “backpacking”, but the day hiker is not a backpacker so “hiking” is a generic term.

People choose to take up backpacking for one or more of the following reasons:

• They are adventurers and explorers at heart
• They enjoy solitude at least occasionally
• They enjoy being out in nature
• They are non-conformists
• They enjoy the physical and mental challenges of hiking without the competition which goes with traditional sports
• They want a life sport that they can participate in and share with people of all ages
• They like to be self-sufficient and function independently of the trappings of modern life
• They enjoy being able to make themselves comfortable in an environment which most others try to avoid.